The British Medical Association has accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of "scaremongering" as the doctors' union prepares for a five-day strike amid a record flu outbreak that threatens to overwhelm the NHS. The confrontation escalates a bitter dispute over pay and working conditions, with both sides warning of severe consequences.
Resident doctors are set to walk out from 7am on December 17 unless union members vote to accept a last-minute government deal. The BMA's online poll closes Monday, just two days before the planned industrial action. The union has labeled the government's offer "poor" and criticized what it calls a "cruel and calculated" approach to negotiations.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors committee, rejected government warnings about patient safety. He said in a statement Saturday: «It is horrible for anyone to be suffering with flu, we are not diminishing the impact of that, but Mr Streeting should not be scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them and their loved ones.»
Fletcher accused Streeting of deflecting blame, adding: «What is cruel and calculated is the way in which the Health Secretary fails to have any engagement with us outside strikes and then comes to us with an offer he knows is poor and expects us to just accept it within 24 hours.»
Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in The Guardian that the strikes «are reckless» and «place the NHS and patients who need it in grave danger». He urged doctors to accept the deal, calling the potential for strikes amid the flu crisis «frankly beyond belief».
Streeting told LBC he could not guarantee patient safety if the walkout proceeds. «If you've got strikes and you've got flu and you've got all of these trolleys on corridors, and you've got demand going up rather than down, I just don't think there is a lever I can pull, I don't think there's an amount of money I can throw, that means I can guarantee patient safety over the next week», he said.
The Health Secretary told The Times that «Christmas strikes could be the Jenga piece that collapses the tower» amid what he described as the NHS's worst pressure since Covid.
Record Flu Outbreak
Flu cases have jumped 55 percent in a single week, with an average of 2,660 patients hospitalized daily in England last week. The H3N2 strain, dubbed "super flu," has hit record levels for this time of year. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges reports ten times more patients in hospital beds with flu compared to the same period two years ago.
Children aged five to 14 are the most susceptible to the current strain, which mutated seven times over the summer. Health officials warn that unvaccinated children could spread the virus to vulnerable elderly relatives during Christmas gatherings.
Vaccination Rollout Under Fire
Pharmacy leaders have criticized NHS bosses for a "botched" vaccine rollout that started in October, a month later than usual. Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, told The Telegraph: «This year it started in October and they did a botched job communicating it. There just was not enough awareness among the public so people were not coming forward.»
Around four million children aged two to 17 remain unvaccinated. Uptake among frontline health workers has fallen to 43.2 percent, down from three-quarters before the pandemic. NHS England has launched a fresh vaccination drive, contacting teachers and parents directly.
Public Opposition and School Closures
A YouGov poll shows 58 percent of respondents oppose the industrial action, with only 33 percent supporting it. Resident doctors have received pay rises totaling nearly 30 percent over the past three years but are seeking additional increases.
Multiple schools have closed due to flu and other illness outbreaks. A Cornwall school shut this week citing "unprecedented and increasing incidences" of flu and strep. Schools in Essex, Wales, and Cheshire have also been forced to close or implement Covid-style precautions such as hand sanitization stations.
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, warned of a "worst-case scenario" with the combined pressures of record A&E demand, the flu wave, and potential strikes. She urged all eligible people to book vaccination appointments immediately.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
